In some countries you’d do well to get a man to attend a “women in society” conference. Not because of any underlying sexism, just because it’s not how a lot guys would probably choose to spend their time.

Saudi Arabia has no such issues. The image below is was taken at their “women in society” conference. Do you notice anything unusual? Look closely.

There is not a single female present. The picture features row upon row of men in traditional keffiyeh and white thobes.The picture has been traced back to Beladalorb.com, which says it was published in Saudi newspaper Okaz in 2012.

As you can imagine a great fuss has been made of the absurdity and hypocrisy of the image, but when you consider Saudi Arabia is a country where women are not permitted to drive, it seems less unbelievable.

We’re not sure why it has taken until now for the image to go viral, but Twitter users are amused at the irony.

It would seem that females in Saudi Arabia are a long way short of equality. It is illegal for them to travel abroad without male accompaniment. They may only do so if their guardian agrees by signing a document known as a ‘yellow sheet’ at an airport or border crossing.

Furthermore, In November 2012 it emerged that women were being electronically monitored with authorities using SMS to track them and inform their husbands of their movements.

Tell us what caption you think best suits the picture in the comments…